Cancer of Eden
by Hack Generation
Summary: Desmond leaves behind a letter to Alex after the saving of the Earth and the killing of Juno. What's inside that letter? Nobody but Rebecca and Mercer know. Angst/ Character Death/ Oneshot/ AC II AU/ May have a part 2 if anyone wants to see what Desmond wrote to his lover. Rated T&M. Whump. Lots of Feels.


_**This is a onehsot, I was going through my PMs and found this that i had sent sooo hyeaaah**_

_**my first character death and when yall git mad at me later my only excuse for killing Des and destroyin my OTP is dat im not in my right mind when typin fics at night.**_

**_Seriously_**_** guys**_

**_seriously_**

_**Enjoy**_

_**or cry**_

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><p><em><span>AU Epilogue:<span>_

_After the events that transpired in saving the world from burning, another Piece of Eden was discovered. Excalibur, the legendary sword that King Arthur wielded in the days of old. Juno is sealed away and killed with Excalibur._

_What no one knew however was that Desmond was sick. When he had touched the Apple to save Earth and inadvertently release Juno, his body, instead of dying from the energy surge, did something much worse._

_His mind went into a Bleed and in doing so, the energy that should have killed him morphed into an different substance. It sealed off the Bleeding Effect and "Cured" Desmond, but it came at a price. Instead of going insane he became diagnosed with cancer._

_After many treatments and remedies researched, everyone, including Desmond, realized it was incurable. The cancer was terminal, the tumor having spread to his internal organs. The case of the sickness was named the Cancer of Eden. And after a rather insane idea of using the Apple's power for radiation treatment (which only resulted in Desmond puking his guts out and his respiratory system failing for a minute) all efforts were called off._

__The doctor had determined that the tumor had grown so fast, unnoticed, because Desmond hadn't said anything. The Assassin had known and didn't tell anyone because he knew this was exactly what would happen, being treated even though he knew that he was going to die anyway. Yet whatever they did to try and eliminate the cancer and put him in remission would only slow it down.__

_Desmond himself refused anymore treatments, he was at peace and requested that a letter he wrote be sent to a stranger that nobody knew but Rebecca._

_"Send it to Alexander J. Mercer."_

_"Alex Mercer?"_

_"Yes..." _

_"Desmond are you sure you don't want to try another-"_

_"Rebecca, **I'm fine**. Besides my immune system already failed a week ago. There's nothing anyone can do, I'm okay with that."_

_"Then I'll make sure he gets the letter."_

_"Thanks 'Becca" Desmond said as he fell asleep. Talking had taken a lot out of him. That alone showed the extent of the effects of his illness. The disease ravaging the body within as he slept._

_"Anything for you Des'...anything..." The techie sighed, gazing blankly at the envelope addressed to the world's greatest threat, ZEUS. She knew who he was, having corresponded with Dana over the months before Desmond had been diagnosed._

_She stared at Desmond's prone form. The man was frail, his skin was also a sickly pale. His body had gotten thinner as he lost weight, pound after pound. Now he looked a shell of the person he once was, as if the slightest breath would make him collapse into nothing._

_Rebecca held his now very thin hand in her own, thumb running over the knuckles. She chuckled at the memory of when Desmond had lost all his hair, she and Shaun had shaved themselves bald. Then the trio had gone shopping to find the most outrageous wig ever. This had been before the cancer left Desmond too weak to go out or even walk, bedridden._

_Tears began to slide down her eyes, dropping onto Desmond's hand and the floor. Why him? she questioned, why did it have to be Desmond and not someone else? Now he wouldn't be able to see Alex, or get old or start a family if he so desired to. Why him?_

_The question went unanswered as she cried silently so she wouldn't wake Desmond up._

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><p>In silence Desmond drew his final breath, hoping and praying as his life slowly faded away, that his lover knew. That he knew everything, and that anything left unsaid was forgiven, the Assassin was sorry that he would not get to see him one last time.<p>

As he laid on the hospital bed, Desmond regretted not mending the gap between them, the distance was too great now. 25 years old, his life still ahead of him, but now... now it didn't matter anymore, he was free of pain, of suffering from memories of times long forgotten between them. All he wanted was to say sorry, to say how much he missed BLACKLIGHT. Hopefully he would read the letter when it reached him, hopefully he would come to his funeral.

Maybe the world wasn't cruel to him as it had been to Desmond...maybe...

All Desmond wanted was for his lover to be at peace, no guilt over the fight they had before he left for Italy with the Assassins and Mercer off to fight Heller. No guilt for not being there as he slowly passed away. It wasn't his fault, Desmond hadn't reached out, and it was too late.

All the life finally seeped away. Desmond closed his eyes and his body relaxed as with the last spark of energy left him, so did one final thought.

''Be free, I'll meet you in heaven.''

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><p><em>Desmond wandered forward, feeling light as he walked down a seemingly dark corridor towards a light at the end of what he assumed, was a dark tunnel. He could feel warmth as he drew nearer and gasping in surprise spotted his ancestors and other people.<em>

_"Well done my descendant" Altair said with arms crossed, leaning against the black wall of the tunnel they stood in._

_"Desmond! Amico mio you finally made it!" An excited Auditore bear hugged him. He awkwardly hugged back._

_"It's about time novice, finally you're here, Altair was being insufferable..." Malik huffed._

_"Lucy?" Desmond's eyes widened._

_"Hey Des..." A certain blonde smiled. "And before you say anything, yes I forgive you for stabbing me, you had no control over that and I know now."_

_Tears moistened his eyes at the sight of her. He was indeed sorry, the guilt had been eating at him since the incident. He blinked to clear the tears and turned towards a familiar native._

_"It is good to see you" Connor said, nodding at Desmond._

_"Yeah...I-I'm...I'm **home**." Desmond replied, looking at everyone as he began walk with them into the distant light "**I'm home."**_

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><p><em><strong>OMFG WAT<strong>_

_**idk anymore**_

_**i just cant you guys**_

_**i am so 100% done with this**_

_**so fave or review or watever**_

_**tell me wat u like and didnt like, yur opinions are liek pirate treasure to me...or sumthin along those lines...**_


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